Maharaja is derived from the sanskrit words mahat, meaning “great”, and rajan, meaning “king”. Much like its namesake, this imperial IPA is regal, intense and mighty. With hops and malts as his servants, he rules both with a heavy hand. The Maharaja flaunts his authority over a deranged amount of hops: tangy, vibrant and pungent along with an insane amount of malted barley – fashioning a dark amber hue and exquisite malt essence. Welcome to his kingdom!

I pick up mango, and a slight grapefruit taste. There is a fruit, and a sweetness that I can't figure out, and it helped the feel and taste. I liked the unknown character that I couldn't pin point. This was a bit malty for me, but it didn't take over this beer completely.

My first review on BeerAdvocate. This bottle of Maharaja was batch No. 20, bottled in December 2014. 22oz Bomber poured into a tulip glass.

Look: Deep orange, almost crimson color. Thin head that seems to last a while.

Smell: Tons of amazing hop aroma. Lots of grapefruit, citrus, mango, some pine, malt, and a little bit of alcohol.

Taste: Very similar to the smell. Lots of grapefruit and mango with a very nice malty finish. The perfect trade-off of sweetness and bitterness. Avery has done a great job at hiding the alcohol in this beer, but there still is a small hint of it in the back. However, the beer is very well balanced.

Feel: Relatively medium-bodied beer. Obviously, slightly thicker than most IPAs but definitely suitable for a DIPA.

Overall: A very tasty hoppy beer. Avery has done a great job with this beer and I would recommend picking this one up the next time you are looking for a great DIPA.